Every parent wants what’s best for their child but somehow youth soccer often ignores what is best for every child. Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer is in the process of creating a model appropriate for all youth soccer players called “Kid First Player Second.”
We recognize the large drop out rate in youth soccer and are hoping to come up with a collaborative effort of coaches, administrators and parents to design a method to eliminate early try out dates and set a date when all travel teams can have their try-outs.
There is a serious flaw to players trying out early and a club deciding some players currently on the roster will not be playing for that team in the upcoming season, when there are still games and tournaments in the spring. We want players to not have to face the undue pressure of trying out early and not completing the entire season cycle.
Clubs and coaches throughout l Pennsylvania have adopted a “Kid First” policy and have set a date in May that all clubs will follow to eliminate all the repercussions created by early try-outs for all youth players. We applaud their efforts and hope to see all clubs and leagues follow their example.
It appears to be a novel idea that should have been in place for years. Having an annual set try out date for everyone will create a more positive atmosphere between clubs rather than the adversarial relationships in the past. In fact, we are hoping to bring all clubs together to s create a more harmonious bond where clubs reach to a the player’s original club to make them aware that their player is trying out for another club.
In the past it was a continuous attempt to identify player early to fill roster spots and take players from other clubs. Some clubs have actually used “Kick Arounds” or “ID Clinics” as early as December to identify possible players for their club. This poaching of players will be eliminated if clubs adopt the kid first policy
It is time we begin to create a platform that shows we have each kid’s interest first and not expose players and parents to undue pressure. Also, within those objective we hope to set up matches and festivals that follow the Player Development Initiatives and allow U8 players to continue playing 4V4 and not compete in 7V7 leagues until the fall or playing friendly matches against nearby clubs in the late spring and summer.
If your child does not develop a love of the sport and a desire to improve, experts like Daniel Gould, director of the Michigan States Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, warn, “it is highly unlikely he or she will be able to sustain long-term involvement (although your child may stay involved for a number of years to please [you]).”
Let’s do what is right for the kids!
